"The whole world is wet – and we’re dry”: Why Ramy Youssef's feelings and prayers on "SNL" matter

Presuming you’re familiar with Ramy Youssef, which the comedian himself doesn’t take for granted, you may have recognized his eight-minute “Saturday Night Live” monologue’s consistency with his other work. Please.” “Saturday Night Live” has a fraught, lengthy history with stars making political statements, making Youssef’s plea significant both in its directness and its overwhelmingly positive reception. “No one in this world should be forced to suffer like that, you know,” he says, “especially not kids.” Six months later nearly 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s asymmetrical retaliation, with women and children comprising around two-thirds of the dead, according to Gaza Health Ministry statistics reported by the AP. I was just like, ‘Ladies, let’s go, we need some spells, like... potions for Palestine, whatever you’ve got, we need it.’” On a “Saturday Night Live” scheduled during a uniquely holy weekend Youssef decided to walk out into that storm armed with his faith, a sense of humor, and a wholeheartedly American prayer for the freedom of those in dire need.